Facebook joins the fight against Ebola with three initiatives

Facebook has joined the fight against Ebola with three initiatives to help spread the word and awareness.

According to the World Health Organisation, there have been over 13,000 cases of Ebola around the world and it has impacted a number of countries in West Africa.

Firstly, Facebook has added a donate feature that enables people to raise funds for the International Medical Corps, the International Federation of Red Cross and Save the Children.

It is said this can also raise awareness as a message will appear at the top of your News Feed offering the option to donate to one of the three non-profits, and those who do so can share this with their friends.

Secondly, Facebook is collaborating with UNICEF to spread education about symptoms and treatment. Specifically those in targeted regions can learn more about Ebola, with information about detection, prevention and treatment.

"Accurate public health information is critical to containing the spread of Ebola," says Facebook.

Finally, working with NetHope, Facebook is providing emergency voice and data services. These are vital communications for medical and aid workers in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, says Facebook.

Currently, the areas most affected do not have the infrastructure required for landlines and cellular coverage, and therefore cannot support communication and access to information.

With help from NetHope - the group of 41 international non-governmental organisations - Facebook is donating 100 mobile satellite communication terminals for deployment in remote areas.

The terminals are known as Broadband Global Area Network devices, and they use satellites to provide mobile broadband and telephony services.

"Stopping Ebola is an important global challenge, and together we can make a difference," says Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO, Facebook.